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Author
Topic: LOOSING ALOT OF HAIR =[ (Read 6396 times)

hey im back after a long time of not being on here. im 28, diagnosed about 3yrs ago and probably poz a year or so before that. i am constantly loosing alot of hair. when i run my hands trough my hair i take off 1-2 hairs and im so sad cuz i have a full head of thick hair and i think at this rait i will look bald/ish??im not sure what to do? or why? is it the meds im on? is it the virus? can i switch a med? or add a med to help it stay on my head? can it be my shampoo? or an oil i put to soften it after i iron it VITAMINE E OIL??? should i use rogaine>? whats good?

I had the same problem when I started taking Kaletra and Combivir. I have very fine hair but I have a ton of it and nobody has ever noticed the hair loss. I thought that when I stopped my meds for 4 years that maybe the hair loss would stop too but it didn't. However it did ease up a little. Now that I'm on Atripla it seems to be falling out a little more than when I wasn't on meds!

I also experienced some hair color and growth issues while taking atripla. My ID Doc advised me in an email that Sustiva decreases something he wrote called the 3A4 enzyme. This enzyme has alot to do with hair including growth. He did say do not take propecia if atipla has caused hair issues. He said propecia and atripla utilize this enzyme. Both of these medications if used together decreases the potency of both drugs he wrote. Also I once had curly hair it is now rather straight

is it the VITAMINE E oil thats meant for the skin i guess and not the hair? --- No. Matter of fact this is a type of "remedy" that is used to prevent thinning hair.

It could be the meds. But also realize that you are 28 and as you age your hair will start doing things out of the norm. I went to the Dermatologist in my 30's because I sporadically started losing alot of hair. She explained to me that it's not unusual to go through a period of losing more hair then normal and that it would stop, then the hair would regenerate, and then I might go awhile before I experienced noticeable hair loss again. She was spot on. For me, this went on for years, and is still occurring. For about a month I will notice alot of hair in my brush, then it subsides for a few months. This may be whats happening to you.

I Definitely wouldn't try any Propecia or Rogaine until you confer with your Doc. Also, I used Rogaine for many years and the results were Ho-hum.

If it's really freaking you out (which it sounds like it is) get in touch with a dermatologist and see what they say.

so is ATRIPLA the only drug related to possible HAIR GROWTH ISSUES? and is that the only name they use for it?

Don't listen to those genetically bald bitches ; ) YES- ATRIPLA (the Sustiva) DOES cause hair loss or Propecia... It was confirmed by a DR I saw on Tuesday. I just need to know it the hair will eventually grow back.

Don't listen to those genetically bald bitches ; ) YES- ATRIPLA (the Sustiva) DOES cause hair loss or Propecia... It was confirmed by a DR I saw on Tuesday. I just need to know it the hair will eventually grow back.

Okay - I'm confused - Propecia is the name of a drug that is taken to manage hair loss. It is not the name of hair loss....There is an interaction that can occur between Propecia and Sustiva because they both use the same enzyme. Sustiva can cause the blood level of Propecia to drop, thereby making it less effective in managing hair loss.

So, a person would have to be on Propecia to manage hair loss in order for there to be an interaction between it and Sustiva.

My recollection of your history is that you did not have hair loss problems and I don't recall you saying you were on Propecia. If you were on Propecia, then there could be an interaction issue making it less effective. If you weren't on Propecia then I don't know why it was mentioned in your response.

The other med you have stated you are on for acne has been known to cause hair loss.

I am losing tons of hair. It's not noticeable on my head yet but when I shower I lose about 50-100 strands of hair and then again when I comb my hair I lose about as much. I have to clean my shower drain frequently or it clogs. I have spoken to my ID doc about it and she's not worried yet. She wants me to give it a little more time as she thinks it's either hormonal or antibiotic related. I sure hope she's right and it tapers off soon.

I am losing tons of hair. It's not noticeable on my head yet but when I shower I lose about 50-100 strands of hair and then again when I comb my hair I lose about as much. I have to clean my shower drain frequently or it clogs. I have spoken to my ID doc about it and she's not worried yet. She wants me to give it a little more time as she thinks it's either hormonal or antibiotic related. I sure hope she's right and it tapers off soon.

I'm going through the same thing you are in regards to the hair loss and it is very frustrating because that is the only real side effect of the drug I'm taking (Atripla). It is interesting that a component of Atripla is also Truvada- but my DR said that the ALOPECIA was probably caused by the Sustiva component in the Atripla. Maybe both are causing the hair loss? I am waiting one more week to see if things change before switching to another drug (or drugs).

How long have you experienced the hair loss? I have noticed for about a month now.

Also, someone on this Forum mentioned a condition called Telogen Effluvium- which is rapid hair loss due to a shock to your system (sometimes brought on by medications). Perhaps what we are going through is a shock reaction to the new medications we are taking?

Everything would be OK if the hair would eventually grow back! So far no one has assured me that the hair will grow back once i adjust to the initial shock of the medications. I also read that with TE if it's medication causing the hair loss you should stop taking the drug(s).

I'm between a rock and a hard place here in making the choice to continue the medication, find something else or abandon medications altogether. Let me know how things go for you!

HIV replication itself can also contribute to hair loss as well as genetics etc.

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Roughly roundabout somewhere in the eighteenth or nineteenth century, Sodomite begat Homosexual out of moral, medical and legal models, bequeathing him Identity, who inbred with Nuclear Family and Industrialism to spawn Homophobia.

HIV replication itself can also contribute to hair loss as well as genetics etc.

I might be reading this wrong, but what I get from that article is that there may be a link between some PI's (Kaletra, most of all) and hair loss, but not with NNRTI's. In fact, according to it, the patients condition improved after they were switched to an efavirenz based regimen:

Quote

After this drug was switched to efavirenz, the patient's general condition improved, and her hair loss resolved, with substantial hair growth localized to the scalp.

I used to have a lot of hair loss unti I started taking Biotin. I the highest mg capsule they make a day. I was getting so thin I thought about shaving my head & I would not look good bald.... Also a low testosterone level I was told by HIV doc may have contributed as well. I am much thicker now.. I believe I am thicker than I was before I was diagnosed almost 20 years ago.. Good luck..

The description in that article about how the hair fell out- with very little trauma and within weeks of taking the drug is exactly like how it was for me.

When you say IRIS- does this mean that my reaction to the drug will pass? Or that I should discontinue the ATRIPLA?

A Dr. I saw last week suggested I start taking Fosamprenavir, Ritonavir and Truvada. It all sounds very scary to me...

Hi Papillion,

The article was more intended to give an outline of how the meds can effect hair growth/loss etc. Indiviiduals respond differently to different meds, so one may cause a side effect for one person, but not another.

I can't say what you should and shouldn't take, however if you are concerned that Efavirenz might be the culprit - you could ask your doc if you can switch your combo and see if it makes a difference. Efavirenz has also been related to birth defects, so that's something else to think about.

Roughly roundabout somewhere in the eighteenth or nineteenth century, Sodomite begat Homosexual out of moral, medical and legal models, bequeathing him Identity, who inbred with Nuclear Family and Industrialism to spawn Homophobia.

I might be reading this wrong, but what I get from that article is that there may be a link between some PI's (Kaletra, most of all) and hair loss, but not with NNRTI's. In fact, according to it, the patients condition improved after they were switched to an efavirenz based regimen:

Going back to the OP, my opinion is that any hair loss you are experiencing is more likely to be some mild form of IRIS than something specifically related to efavirenz.

Good point loop, sorry for any confusion, the article was more intended to give an overall explanation - I should have clarified.

The NNRTI's as a group are associated with hair loss in some people- depending on how the mechanism of the drug impacts on the various stages of hair growth - if at all - so individual responses will vary.

Having said that NNRTI's are a great group of drugs, as are any HIV treatments when they work and don't cause nasties.

cheers

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Roughly roundabout somewhere in the eighteenth or nineteenth century, Sodomite begat Homosexual out of moral, medical and legal models, bequeathing him Identity, who inbred with Nuclear Family and Industrialism to spawn Homophobia.

You might like to ask about Isentress or Maraviroc? They have great side effect profiles.

I agree Isentress' side effect profile so far is fantastic, Papillon. If whatever the reason, you end up wanting to switch from atripla, you may ask about Isentress+Truvada. The only drawback I can think of that combo, is that right now it's still a twice daily one, but regarding side effects is clearly one of the tops.

Thank you so much- you have all been so extremely helpful. Poring through some of the medical information on some of the websites (that sometimes read like 12th C. laws written in Latin) can be intimidating. I prefer the straight forward talking from people with insight and experience- expressed in a way for people to understand clearly.

You have all been very helpful and I appreciate it very much. Please continue to provide feedback!